A third of Americans support deporting all undocumented immigrants, new Pew study finds

Jeff Gammage, The Philadelphia Inquirer on Mar 27, 2025

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

Nearly a third of Americans say all undocumented immigrants in the United States should be deported, and another half want some people kicked out under certain circumstances.

The majority of those polled believe the federal government should be allowed to arrest those here without permission at their homes, jobs, and at protests or rallies, but not at schools, hospitals or houses of worship.

Those findings are reported in a new study by the Pew Research Center in Washington, D.C., undertaken at a moment when the Trump administration has undertaken what it promises will be the largest deportation campaign in U.S. history. The Trump effort includes unshackling ICE agents to make arrests at churches, schools and hospitals, places that were previously, generally off-limits.

The study documented the fear around immigration enforcement that’s being felt by some people and communities in the United States.

About one in five American adults say they worry a lot or somewhat that they, a family member or a close friend could be deported. Among Hispanics, 42% are worried.

Four percent said they have begun to carry proof of their U.S. citizenship or immigration status, such as a passport or birth certificate, while 2% said they made changes in their daily schedule out of fear of being asked for proof. And 2% have stopped using public services like health care or police out of worry.

Philadelphia is home to an estimated 47,000 undocumented people, part of a 153,000 statewide population, with an additional 440,000 in New Jersey.

The Pew analysis was based on a survey of 5,123 adults conducted from Feb. 24 to March 2.

Pew estimates that 11 million immigrants were living in the United States without permission as of 2022. Research published in February by the Migration Policy Institute in Washington cited a larger figure, saying the undocumented population has reached an all-time high of about 13.7 million people. About 5.5 million — 40% — are from Mexico.

The study showed that 32% of U.S. adults support deporting all undocumented immigrants. Another 51% said some should be removed, and held varying views on who that should be.

Nearly all — 97% — support deporting those who have committed violent crimes. Meanwhile, 52% favor deporting those guilty of non-violent crimes, and 44% endorsed removing people who arrived within the past four years.

A line appeared in the findings around family ties, with the percentages that support deportation dropping dramatically.

The study found 14% supported deporting the parents of American-born children, 9% approved of removing immigrants who came to the U.S. as children, and 5% endorse deporting undocumented people who are married to American citizens.

The study showed stark differences between Democrats and Republicans.

For instance, 54% of Republicans and Republican-leaning Independents said all immigrants who are in the country without legal permission should be deported, compared with only 10% of Democrats and those tilting Democratic.

Fully 81% of Republicans say law enforcement officers should be allowed to check a person’s immigration status during routine activities like a traffic stop, compared to 33% of Democrats.

Only 13% of Republicans say the Trump administration is doing too much when it comes to deporting undocumented immigrants, compared to 75% of Democrats.

_____